The restaurants and bars have reopened – but the crisis in the catering industry has not been resolved. “We are having a hard time finding good specialists,” Casimir Platzer, President of the Gastrosuisse industry association, told the AWP news agency. The problem existed before the crisis, but has now become more accentuated, he complains.
One reason is a lack of dynamism in the job market. For example, city hotels that were still not doing well made use of the instrument of short-time working. “These employees are therefore not on the market and do not change jobs,” says Platzer. In addition, one or the other probably lost their perspective after the many months of lockdown and changed the industry.
No pizzaiolo far and wide
Michel Péclard (51), one of the largest restaurateurs in Zurich, is blowing the same horn. “We and our colleagues in the industry almost despair!” He says “Daily Gazette”. The few applications that come in are from people with unsuitable backgrounds. He even knew of companies that could not open due to a lack of staff.
Gastro king Péclard is not alone. Similar complaints have been heard from a number of other restaurant operators. The Bindella family’s restaurant empire is also struggling with the aftermath of the long, forced closure. Pizzaioli in particular are currently in great demand. Many have gone back to Italy, which is why the market is currently completely dry, says Bindella HR boss Monika Farmer.
Poison arrows from the Seco director
In Bern, there is little understanding for the complaints from gastro chef Casimir Platzer and his colleagues. Unemployment in the catering sector is still above average, countered Boris Zürcher, head of the Labor Directorate at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco). In May it was around 9 percent – around 16,000 people from the catering segment were without a job. “In view of these numbers, I cannot understand these complaints from the innkeepers,” said Zürcher. And adds: “It shouldn’t really be difficult to recruit staff.”
Zürcher also emphasizes that the catering industry has been a major beneficiary of short-time work. “Actually, this instrument was used so intensively that people would be available when the economy picked up.” Companies that have laid off people may now have problems recruiting new staff, the Seco manager continues.
Then comes the last poison pillar to the address of the catering industry: “Anyone who is now desperately looking for workers has probably made mistakes before.” (nim / SDA)